Medical Leave
by Bralt
Summary: Halt just got an arrow lodged in his shoulder and is put on Medical Leave, what will he do?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Okay so here's the deal, I got a lot of things saying that people wanted me to continue A Wounded Ranger so I came up with this sequel you do not need to read the other story to get this though**

Crowley looked at Halt and took a deep breath once again. He had been trying to get Halt to let him take a look at the arrow wound in his left shoulder but Halt was being stubborn as usual. Halt crossed his arms and winced as he did before setting his mouth in a determined line and sitting down at his chair at the table. Crowley sat down across from him and closed his eyes to control his agitation.

"Halt," Crowley said slowly while opening his eyes. "You need to let me take a look at the wound, it could become infected."

"I've been through worse; I know how to dress a wound." Halt glared at Crowley, he really hated when people tried to help him.

"Halt, it's an arrow wound! You've got to let me look at it!" Halt shook his head and Crowley once again took a deep breath. "If you don't then I'll call in a healer."

"And I'll be sure to get you back for it," Halt replied evenly.

"Halt, why are you like this? You're going to be on medical leave anyways, you might as well let me help you so you can get back sooner," Crowley said pleadingly.

Halt sat silently. Crowley was about to start yelling at him when Will walked into the cabin from taking care of Tug. He nodded to Crowley and looked at Halt apologetically. He hadn't meant to hit him with an arrow but Halt had startled him. Will took a seat by Crowley and looked at Halt.

"You feeling okay?" Will asked carefully, he could see Halt wasn't at his happiest right now.

"Perfectly fine," Halt said without taking his glare off Crowley.

"You are not!" Crowley burst out. "You have a hole in your shoulder! Just let me see it!" Crowley demanded.

"You already saw it when we were tying up the robbers," Halt said.

"Yes, but I couldn't help you then!" Crowley leaned forward to whisper into Will's ear. "Will, do me a favor and get me a rope." Will nodded and got up as Crowley turned towards an angry Halt. "Let me look at the wound." He sat back in his seat with a determined look on.

"Would I be kicked out of the Corps. if I threw you into the moat?" Halt said without the slightest hint of humor.

"Yes, as a matter of fact you would but I highly doubt you could throw me with that shoulder injury."

"You only need one arm to push a doof into a moat." Halt sat back in his chair and continued to scowl.

They sat like that for a few minutes before Will came back in with a coiled rope. Halt frowned but didn't say anything. Crowley motioned for Will to sit back down; Will looked at him curiously but complied.

"This is your last chance Halt, either show me the wound willingly or I use my own methods." Crowley gave a small smile.

"Crowley, you wouldn't honestly tie me up. And even if you did, I don't need two hands to strangle one commandant," Halt said it calmly but he knew perfectly well that Crowley would tie him up if was for the best.

"That's a shame Halt; I thought you knew me better than that." Crowley's smile was sinister. "Will, would you mind tying our friend Halt to the chair he's sitting in?" Will nodded slowly and stood, he took a step towards Halt before the Ranger's glare stopped him.

"One step closer and I swear that you'll spend the rest of your apprenticeship up a tree." Halt's glare switched back to Crowley.

"Fine Halt! if you're going to act like a child then I give up!" Crowley stood up angrily and Halt's eyes showed a flick of amusement. "I'm going to make some coffee!" Crowley walked angrily over to the stove.

"Can I have some?" Will asked, sitting back down. Crowley turned towards him and shook his head before turning back around. He picked up a pot and studied it.

"That isn't the coffee pot," Halt said, he didn't know what the commandant was up to.

"I know." Crowley turned back towards the table. "Can I see that wound?" Halt looked at him confused.

"My answer hasn't changed in the past five minutes." Halt eyed the pot, he realized what Crowley was about to do a second before the pot smacked him over the head and he fell unconscious.

Crowley smiled at Halt's form slumped in the chair. Will looked at him horrified as he walked back over to the stove and placed the pot back in its place. He then walked back to the table and sat down.

"Will, would you mind tying Halt to the chair? I don't want him to wake up and be free to get back at me," Crowley said calmly. Will looked at him then back at Halt and finally back at the commandant.

"Was that really necessary?" Will said shocked.

"Well it was either this or go and get a healer. I doubt Halt would even cooperate with the healer anyways so yes, this was absolutely necessary." Crowley smiled. "Now will you please tie him up?" Will nodded numbly and stood.

Will walked over to Halt and fastened him to the chair so when he woke up he wouldn't be able to move. Will finished and looked at Crowley curiously. Crowley motioned for him to sit back down.

"So how do you think we could get to the hole in his shoulder? He can't really take his shirt off for us." Crowley smiled as Will just stared at him as if he were insane. "Here, I'll cut the shirt."

Crowley stood and walked over to Halt who's head was slumped backwards over the edge of the back of the chair. He looked at his left shoulder for a moment before pulling out his throwing knife and carefully cutting a piece of red cloth away from the injury. The red cloth was proof enough that the wound wasn't healed. Crowley set the cloth on the table and looked at the wound. His eyes grew wide and he took a step back. The wound was bandaged well but the blood was seeping through, causing the skin around it to be drenched in the red liquid. Before Crowley knew it, Will was by his side.

"That's gotta hurt," Crowley said softly, Will nodded slowly. His mouth was slightly agape and Crowley would have laughed had it been under different circumstances. "Well, no sense in standing around here like rocks." Crowley stepped forward again and started unwrapping the wound, dreading what he would see.

**Please review and I'll review one of your stories. Hope you liked it. I didn't know if Crowley was to OCC but I couldn't think of a better way for Crowley to get Halt to cooperate**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

Crowley had to hold in his lunch at what he saw. The wound was still gushing blood as he threw the useless red bandages onto the table and looked at it. Will took a few steps back and didn't return to the commandant's side. The hole in Halt's shoulder looked as if it was becoming infected and Crowley thought that it went through some muscle. He turned to face Will and smiled reassuringly even though he felt dread building in his chest at whether it would ever heal.

"Go and get the healer, even I can see that this will need some stitches." Crowley smiled again and Will relaxed somewhat.

"What should I tell them?"

"Tell them that Ranger Halt was injured and is in need of stitches, don't give specifics," Crowley said. Will nodded and rushed out the door. Crowley turned back to Halt and considered waking him up, the healer would do it anyways. Crowley leaned down and put his mouth up to Halt's ear. "Wake up!" The commandant yelled. Halt's head shot up and started to look around, a skill that had kept him alive when he was out on missions and had to sleep in the open. Crowley stepped out of Halt's limited reach and smiled. "Glad you woke up."

"And what the heck was that for?" Halt growled. He glared at Crowley, and then the pain hit him. The wound was exposed to the air and Halt's eyes closed tight with the pain, Crowley thought that Halt would yell if he hadn't been Halt. "Crowley, you're going to pay for this," Halt said dangerously low. Crowley's smile faltered then he realized that Halt was tied up.

"I'll keep that in mind." Crowley looked at the helpless Halt tied to the chair, he was sure it was the first, and probably the last, time he would ever see Halt as helpless.

"Untie me and let's see how tough you are," Halt looked at the commandant threateningly. "You got to see the wound now let me go."

"Can't, the healer is gonna want to see it." Crowley took another step back, Halt looked angry enough to break the rope restraining him.

"I told you I was fine!" Halt tried to move his arms but it just caused him pain and sent a wave of blood rolling down his arm.

"Calm down, the healer is just going to stitch it up some. There is no way that it will heal on its own." Crowley avoided Halt's killing glare and took the seat across from him.

They sat like that for a few more minutes before the sound of hooves reached their ears. A few more minutes and Will walked in followed by the top healer at Redmont castle. Crowley motioned for Will to take a seat as the healer set his bag on the table and looked at Halt incredulously.

"And why is he tied up?" The healer asked still looking at Halt. Crowley laughed.

"He's a stubborn little fellow." Crowley held in his yell as Halt kicked him under the table. The healer nodded slowly and turned to look at Crowley.

"What happened?" It was the standard question that healers had to ask but Halt was still annoyed by it.

"What's it look like? I got a hole in my shoulder that apparently needs sewing up," Halt grumbled. Will smiled at his mentor's remark but didn't say anything.

"He got hit with an arrow in the shoulder. It's starting to look infected and I think it went through a little muscle," Crowley said, choosing to ignore Halt's comment.

The healer looked back at the wound and nodded slowly. He went to poke the wound a little but a glare from Halt stopped him in his tracks. The healer looked back to Crowley who nodded encouragingly. He turned back to Halt for a moment more.

"The good news is that the wound will heal. No permanent damage." Crowley let a sigh of relief out.

"You don't say," Halt said quietly in a mock surprised voice.

"The bad news is that it did hit some muscle and you'll be bedridden for at least a month." Crowley swore he heard Halt say something but he couldn't make it out. "I have to put something on it to stop the infection," the healer said slowly to Halt who continued to glare at him. "And you're going to have to cooperate." The healer turned to his bag on the table and pulled out a bottle and a cloth. He opened the bottle and dumped some of its liquid contents onto the cloth and turned back to Halt. "This is going to sting a little."

"Wait," Crowley said before the healer could put the cloth on Halt. The commandant turned towards Will. "I think you should go take care of Tug, knowing Halt he might use some…colorful language when the stinging starts." Crowley winced as Halt kicked him under the table again but Will smiled and left the cabin.

The healer smiled and lowered the cloth to Halt's injured shoulder. At first Halt sat there scowling then Crowley started to notice he was tensing up and his eyes were shut in pain, finally he started cursing under his breath and the healer removed the cloth. Halt looked up at him as if it was the healer's fault that this was happening to him. The healer ignored it and turned back to his bag and pulled out a needle attached to a wire, Halt looked at it and mentally willed it to burst into flames.

"Do you want me to knock you out again?" Crowley teased; Halt switched his glare to the commandant and willed him to burst to flames. To Halt's disappointment, Crowley stayed sitting there with no flames burning him.

"That might be better," the healer said quietly. Crowley looked at him. "I mean, it's obvious Sir Halt isn't going to take to this very well and he's bound to twitch or do something that might make me mess up." Crowley nodded and again felt Halt kick him.

"Do you have anything in that bag of yours? I don't think Halt would take kindly to having a pot smashed over his head twice in a day," Crowley said as he shifted his legs so Halt couldn't kick him anymore.

The healer nodded and dug around in the bag until he pulled out a syringe with a clear liquid in it. Crowley smiled, Halt hated shots. The healer turned back to Halt and quickly poked the syringe into a vein by his wound and injected the liquid before the Ranger could fight. Halt was vaguely aware of a tickling sensation before he slipped into the land of dreams.

**Please review, I think Crowley was a little bit better in this chapter but tell me if you think Halt was OCC:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'M BACK FROM MY MEDICAL LEAVE. How ironic:) I know that nobody was really dying for me to return to writing but here it is anyway:)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters but no matter what my therapist says, I will one day**

Halt woke up propped up in his bed and covered with so many blankets that he was nearly squashed. He looked out the window on his right and saw that it was nighttime, he had been asleep for around half the day. He shifted his head and saw Crowley grinning at him from a chair set up on the left of his bed.

"What are you so happy about?" Halt asked grimly, his head was still foggy but he remembered how Crowley had knocked him out and tied him up and then proceeded to call the healer.

"You actually looked peaceful when you were sleeping!" Crowley said as if it was a miracle. Halt rolled his eyes. "I'm not kidding! It was as if Pauline had entered the room." Crowley laughed as Halt glared at him.

"Where is Will?" Halt finally asked when he had silenced Crowley.

"Asleep, he wanted to stay until you woke up but I told him that he could see you in the morning. He's really upset, Halt. He was going on and on about how he was worried that you were never going to be able to shoot again because of him." Crowley shifted in his chair; he had a suspicion that Will hadn't gone to sleep. Crowley pretended to crack his neck and nodded towards the door. Halt gave a slight nod of understanding. "I told him not to worry; the healer said that you'd be back in operation in about two months."

"Two months?" Halt asked with the barest hint of surprise and anger even though inside he wanted to shout it. Crowley shifted a little; he knew Halt wouldn't like the news.

"Yes, the wound was closer to the heart than he had expected and he wants to make sure that it is one hundred percent healed before you do anything physical." Crowley had to hide the smile that crept across his face as Halt realized he wasn't going to be moving around for a while.

"You can't honestly believe him. It was just a simple arrow wound, I've seen men recover from them in mere days," Halt argued calmly while fighting the blankets off of him.

"Halt, it was practically right by your heart! He said that if it had been too much closer than you would have been done for." Crowley stood to pile the blankets back onto Halt but stopped as Halt's famous death glare hit him. "Halt, you need to stay in bed. I forbid you from leaving." Crowley knew that he couldn't stop Halt from doing what he wanted to do but he felt the need to try.

"I feel fine." Halt stood up as if to prove it and grimaced as his shoulder throbbed. He quickly hid it but Crowley had seen it.

"Halt, get back into your bed." Crowley's voice was stern but Halt could hear the slight tone of self-doubt.

"I'm perfectly fine; I just need to move around." Halt started towards the door when he a wave of pain come from his shoulder.

Halt stopped in his tracks and bit down the yell that wanted to come out of him. Instead he bit the inside of his cheek until the pain went away and he felt blood on his tongue. Crowley was standing right next to him, having stood when Halt stopped. Crowley carefully tried to force Halt back into his bed but he wouldn't budge.

"Come on Halt, I know you hate being stuck doing nothing but you're going to have to deal with it." Crowley was getting tired of his friend's stubbornness.

"No Crowley, I'm perfectly fine," Halt argued although he knew that he should probably get back into bed before the pain hit again. It was agonizing.

Crowley continued to try and shove Halt back into the safety of his bed but Halt was solid as a wall and eventually after much trying and quite a few curses Crowley gave up and sat back down in the chair by Halt's bed with his arms crossed over his chest. Halt raised his eyebrows at Crowley who scowled back. Halt shrugged and headed towards the door that would take him into the main room of the cabin, he was in the mood for some coffee no matter how late it was. But as he stepped out of the room he was immediately being crushed by his apprentice who had jumped forward to embrace him in a hug.

"I'm so sorry Halt! I didn't know I injured you this bad, I didn't mean to and now it's my fault that you're injured and going to be bedridden for two months and then you might not get better and then…and then…and I got real worried," Will said rapidly as he was pushed away by Halt's right arm. His mentor glared at him and Will stood there uncomfortably.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Halt asked as pain laced his arm yet again, he was aware of a sniggering Crowley approaching behind him.

"Yes but I couldn't because I didn't know if you were going to be okay or not even though the healer said you were. And then I wanted to know when you woke up so I could say sorry so you didn't think that I didn't care so no matter what I did I couldn't get to sleep." Will looked at his mentor sincerely. He tended to talk a lot when worried. Crowley was still sniggering as he came up to Halt's side and smiled at the boy.

"I'm awake and I'm perfectly fine," Halt snarled at his shaking apprentice. Will nodded and stood there awkwardly.

"Ummm….Halt?" Will asked carefully. Halt grunted and glared at Crowley who quickly stopped his sniggering. "Why are you out of bed? The healer said that you were supposed to stay in bed and not do anything or else the stitches would open up and then…well then he said that it would be all over because the wound was close to your heart and it's unhealthy to lose too much blood." Will couldn't imagine a life without Halt, he hadn't been his apprentice to long but he had grown fond of the grizzled man.

"I'm fine," Halt snarled, switching his glare from Crowley back to the boy who shrunk away. "I'm going to go make some coffee." Halt pushed past Will and headed towards the kitchen.

"Get back to bed, I'll make it for you," Crowley said sternly. Will looked from Crowley to Halt then back, Halt looked agitated but he kept wincing.

"I can make coffee Crowley, it isn't that hard," Halt said as he turned back to the cabinet and reached up with his left hand to open it. Almost immediately he jerked his arm down and suffered another wave of pain.

Crowley motioned for Will to come near him and Will obliged. When the apprentice was close enough, Crowley leaned down and whispered in his ear. Will hesitated a little but Crowley smiled at him and nodded. Will smiled weakly back and raced out the door while Halt was still dealing with the pain. When the pain vanished Halt turned to Crowley and raised his eyebrows.

"What?" Crowley asked while forcing down the smile that wanted to betray his actions.

"Where is Will going?" Halt asked quietly.

"I asked him to go and get me something, he'll be back soon," Crowley said and sat down at the table to wait for the boy to return. Halt looked at him suspiciously but didn't say anything.

**Way OOC I know but you can still review**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of it's characters(not sure if I'd want to own Halt, after all he might be mad at me after this particular chapter)**

Crowley smiled as he heard the distinct noise of a horse coming closer to the cabin and Halt raised his eyebrow but the commandant didn't answer. In a few more moments Will opened the door, letting the cold night air to sweep into the cabin followed by somebody else. Halt looked away from Crowley and saw that it was Pauline who was following Will, quickly Halt snapped his eyes back to Crowley who looked away. Under the table Halt aimed a kick at Crowley's shins but was surprised when he found that Crowley's legs weren't there and ended up kicking the leg of the chair and stubbing his toe. He cursed under his breath as Will and Pauline took seats on his right and left. Pauline heard a few of them and she let herself show disapproval.

"I see that you know some new words," Pauline said, intending to get the Ranger to stop. Halt felt his face heat up but didn't say anything, Crowley knew of his like of Pauline but he didn't want Will to know. Halt realized that his friend was more diabolical than he had first thought. Halt ignored Lady Pauline's remark and looked at Will.

"I think it's finally time for you to go to sleep. For real this time," Halt said and before Will could protest added, "I seem to notice that all tired apprentices are good for is scrubbing down the horse shelter." Crowley smiled at the look on Will's face, Ranger's loved to care for their horses but a whole day of scrubbing down their living space was a little less than ideal.

Once Will had closed the door to his room and Halt distinctly heard him slump onto his bed Crowley turned to Lady Pauline. "I hear that it's been a little cramped up at the castle," he said in an innocent fashion. Halt glared at him but he pretended not to notice.

"A little, we had to give rooms to the visiting nobles and other people of importance. There seem to be a lot of them lately," Pauline said, she didn't know why the commandant had called her down to the cabin at this late hour and was starting to wonder if it was of good intent.

"Well perhaps you would like to stay here for a while? Poor Will will need somebody to keep him company. I'll be off to the castle most the day and Halt won't be able to do much with that shoulder of his." Crowley dodged yet another of Halt's kicks. "You could take Will's room and him and I could sleep out here," Crowley finished. Halt was yelling inside but outside he was grim and quiet glaring nonstop at his friend. Pauline frowned and turned to look at Halt, she hadn't noticed the tear in his shirt and the bandage that was becoming red yet again. She felt concern building in her chest and knew that Crowley really just wanted her to keep an eye on Halt; they all knew how he could be.

"That would be lovely," she said after a moment. She smiled at Crowley who returned the look while Halt found his shin and gave it a good kick.

"I'll see you in the morning then," Crowley said and Pauline nodded and stood, it was awfully late and she was going to need as much sleep as she could get if she was going to look after Halt. When the door had swung shut behind her Crowley turned to Halt and smiled, he didn't return it.

"Glad to see you're happy about this," Halt said in a snarl. "Last time I checked this was my cabin and I decided who stayed here and who didn't." Crowley just kept smiling.

"I'm your commandant, so I can decide as well," Crowley said happily, he couldn't wait to see how this worked out. Pauline would keep Halt in check but not to easily and even then it would end badly.

"Well, it's my home," Halt stated flatly. He tried and failed to cross his arms across his chest. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to," Halt added, trying to distract the commandant from his failed attempt. Crowley put on an innocent face.

"I was just offering Pauline a place to stay; the castle is overflowing with snotty nobles and those types so I figured she'd have a better time down here." Crowley spoke confidently as if what he was saying were true but he avoided eye contact with Halt.

"Really?" Halt raised an eyebrow and Crowley nodded. "I see that you overlooked the fact that she'll be busy as a courier and therefore can't keep Will company." Crowley just laughed lightly.

"Will won't need to be kept company all the time, she'll have plenty of time to do whatever couriers do."

"Answer this, how will she train Will if she is a courier and Will is a Ranger. I don't know if you've noticed but there are some differences in the professions." Halt shifted in his chair as his shoulder began to throb.

"Who said she would be training him? All she needs to do is keep him company and maybe help him with the housework. I'll be training him while you have fun napping." Crowley nodded, confirming it.

"I thought you said you would be busy up at the castle. Besides, don't you think it's time you get back to Araluen?" Halt raised his eyebrow further up; he figured that if he got rid of Crowley he could easily convince Pauline to go back up to the castle. He couldn't be more wrong.

"The retired Rangers seemed eager to take control when I announced I was coming so I'm sure they won't be too devastated if I stay until you are in tip top condition and can train Will yourself." Crowley smiled hugely. "It'll be fun, you can stay in bed all day while I train Will and Pauline does whatever she needs to do." Crowley smiled yet again then gave a false yawn. "I'm going to sleep, you should do the same. Wouldn't want to be grim in the morning." Crowley turned away before Halt could see the large grin plastered to his face, tomorrow would be interesting.

Crowley took the comfortable chair by the fire and propped his feet up, it was actually a quite comfortable place to sleep. He was about to fall asleep when he heard Halt's voice.

"Crowley, you said she'd be staying a while. How long is that exactly?"

"Oh, I don't know, most likely two months," Crowley said in his innocent tone. He laughed softly as he heard Halt curse him.

**Honestly, I think that was the worse chapter that is going to be in this story. I just needed a way to get Pauline to stay at the cabin then to get Halt annoyed(as usual) They made the review button bigger for a reason:)(so you can see it cause apparently nobody could)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I tis not own ye Ranger's Apprentice or any characters(horrible old english:)) YAY, I GOT A BETA ACCOUNT**

The next morning Halt woke up and was blinded by the pain in his shoulder. It hadn't felt this bad since it had happened but he was determined to prove Crowley wrong so he stood up, got dressed and headed out to the kitchen where he was greeted with the delicious smell of coffee and eggs. He sat down in his chair at the table and grumbled a good morning to Will who was as cheerful as ever. In a few minutes Crowley was dumping eggs onto their plates and setting down mugs of steaming coffee in front of them. Crowley took his seat and they ate in silence. Occasionally Crowley glanced at Halt as if he were waiting to see if Halt would make a run for it but nothing happened. Pauline still hadn't arrived when they had finished their coffee and Halt was beginning to think that she wasn't going to come until that night.

"Well, I have to go see Arald," Crowley said when he had finished. He stood up and glanced at Halt once more before donning his cloak and heading out the door with an odd feeling, Halt had seemed a more subdued than usual. In his experience, Crowley knew that at the very least Halt would have made some comment about his cooking.

Halt and Will sat in silence for a little bit while Halt finished his coffee. Will looked at him worried but didn't say anything and eventually Halt raised an eyebrow at him. Will averted his eyes quickly but not before he saw a glint in Halt's eyes.

"Well what are you waiting for boy? I think it's about time we get training, you aren't going to learn to shoot a bow by eating eggs," Halt said as he stood up. Will looked at him wide eyed as he put on his own cloak a little awkwardly and picked up his bow, arrows and knives. "Well?" Halt asked as he slung the quiver over his back and placed the knife scabbard on his waist.

"B…but your…and the doctor…and Crowley…and you can't," Will stuttered as he clambered out of his chair to face his mentor. Halt just glared at him for a moment.

"I think I know what I can and can't do. It just so happens that I know a little bit about shooting a bow, therefore I very well can shoot an arrow," Halt said and then turned back towards the door and strode out with Will right behind him holding his recurve bow and looking a bit shocked.

They walked to the targets and Halt motioned for Will to start shooting but Will stood there looking at Halt a little confused and a lot worried about his mentor's head health. After a while Halt gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.

"I see that you've already forgotten how to shoot a bow, maybe Saturdays off isn't such a great idea," Halt said grimly. Will immediately snapped into action.

His aim hadn't improved any since the day he had accidently hit Halt and the arrow hit the target on the outmost ring. Will heard Halt sigh again and knocked another arrow, this time determined to get closer to a bulls eye. He was a little disappointed when the arrow hit the target a few inches below the bulls eye and Halt once again sighed. Will went to knock another arrow but stopped as Halt came to stand beside him, Will swore his mentor had pain in his eyes.

"You're not using your back muscles," Halt said simply. "And don't touch your thumb to your mouth, use your finger." Will looked at Halt in a trance; he was too focused on the look in Halt's eyes to listen. "Apprentices," Halt muttered, snapping Will back to reality. Halt raised his bow and grunted as he plucked an arrow from his quiver. He put the arrow on the string and was about to pull back when Will grabbed the wrist holding the bow. Halt looked at him dangerously but Will held on.

"You can't Halt, the doctor said that…"

"Suddenly the doctor knows more about how I feel than I do," Halt said sarcastically while twisting his wrist out of Will's grasp. "I know what I'm doing Will," Halt grumbled as he raised his bow once more. Will didn't know what would happen if Halt started shooting too soon and he was pretty sure he didn't want to know. Without thinking Will grabbed the arrow away from Halt. Halt glared at him.

"No Halt, the doctor said that you had to rest for two months before you could shoot," Will said sternly but a note of self-doubt edged his words. He didn't know if he had the right to do this to his mentor but he knew that Crowley had ordered Halt not to do anything so if the commandant said it, Will thought it was his duty to enforce it. That and he felt wholly responsible for getting Halt into this mess.

"And last week the doctor told you that coffee was bad for you," Halt replied before reaching into his quiver again and pulling out another arrow, inside he grimaced as the movement of his right shoulder twisted his left but outside he stayed as grim as always. Will quickly ran to stand in front of Halt so he couldn't shoot. Halt frowned. "Honestly Will, I'm fine now get out of the way." A note of anger started to lace into Halt's words but it was lost on Will.

"No, you shouldn't even be out here let alone be shooting an arrow." Will looked panicked, he knew from experience how stubborn Halt could be but at the same time he felt the need to stop Halt from doing something that might harm him further.

"I know what I'm doing," Halt snarled. The tone made Will want to get out of his mentor's way but a wave of duty swept over him and he crossed his arms and stood his ground. Halt's eyebrows drew together in a scowl as he glared at his apprentice with the bow still raised. Halt drew the arrow back and Will's eyes grew wide.

Will knew that Halt wouldn't dare shoot him but his instincts took over and he dropped to the ground out of the arrow's path. Halt released the arrow and immediately knew that he had made bad judgment. A fiery pain erupted in his shoulder as the wound was ripped open and he dropped the bow. He keeled over and griped at his shoulder that was quickly becoming red. He looked to see where Will was and cursed as he saw something else. Approaching them was a figure outlined in the bright morning sun. There was only one person Halt could think of that looked like that and would have a reason to be here. He cursed again as Pauline strode towards him looking a little bit more than angry.

**Uh oh...Oh Halt you should really listen to doctors:) Please review and you just might find your own review waiting;) Hope that didn't cause you to much pain to read**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is a little short but I promise to update real soon**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own Ranger's Apprentice**

Pauline strode into the clearing that held Halt's small cabin. She had just met Crowley on the way down and he had told her all she needed to know about what Halt wasn't supposed to be doing. She heard some yelling from the back of the cabin that sounded like Will and picked up her pace. Soon she was standing a few meters from an arguing Will and Halt. Halt had his bow raised and aimed but Will was standing between the archer and the target. Pauline felt her anger boiling; Crowley had said he told Halt not to do anything like this. She stopped, waiting to see if Halt would actually shoot the arrow.

"You better not," Pauline whispered as Halt drew the arrow back and Will dove to the ground. She hid her emotions as Halt released the arrow and doubled over from the pain moments later. She started to walk towards them again with an expression of disapproval.

"Damn," Halt muttered as he straightened with a grimace, he had a feeling that the stiches had been ripped open; his suspicion was proved true when he felt the blood running down his arm.

"Good day Halt," Pauline said bitterly as she crossed her arms. Halt wanted to flinch at the stern look she was giving him; instead he pulled his bloody hand away from his shoulder and pulled his cowl down. He had been hoping to go into the forest for training but he saw now that his plan was botched.

"Halt!" Will yelled as he stood and saw the blood soaking through his mentor's shirt. Halt turned towards him and scowled. "Look at your shoulder!" Will yelled again in fear and helplessness.

Halt looked down and hid the pained expression that fought to show itself. "I believe it's bleeding," Halt said casually, as if he got shot a few inches from the heart every day. Will's eyes were wide with panic by now. "I'll be fine, just need to go patch it…patch it up," Halt said a little dizzy, the amount of blood loss was extravagant and he realized he was starting to get nauseous. Pauline saw him start to tilt.

"Go get the doctor Will, tell him we need him immediately," Pauline said calmly even though she was panicking inside as Halt fainted onto the soft grass. Will nodded and stumbled to the stable for Tug.

* * *

Halt woke up and tried to sit up, only to find that he was held down by his wrists, ankles, waist and neck. Crowley came into his limited vision with a big grin on. Halt gave a low growl and Crowley backed up a bit but remained in his vision.

"Why am I tied up?" Halt finally said in an angry voice; he didn't take to kindly to being restrained.

"Because it's the only way I could get you to stay in bed. You aren't supposed to be off shooting arrows," Crowley said with a little worry edging his words. Halt glared at him.

"I think I figured that part out; it only hurt like the devil when my shoulder ripped open," Halt said sarcastically. He had to admit that shooting hadn't been the smartest idea.

"Serves you right," Crowley said. "I see the threat of Pauline watching you didn't help any." He thought for a moment. "Well, I've got nothing better to do." Crowley's face split into a wide grin. "From now on call me Nurse Crowley."

"Absolutely not," Halt said as he tried and failed to raise his head.

"Oh yes, I'm not letting you run off again and do something so stupid you have to get more stitches. The healer wasn't too happy to have to come back," Crowley answered happily. "Now can I help you with anything? Want me to get you a teddy bear to curl up with or maybe I could read you a story," Crowley said. He knew how Halt hated to be babied and was going to take full advantage of it.

"Don't start," Halt growled but Crowley didn't seem so afraid of him when he was tied up.

"Oh but I already have," Crowley said in a peppy tone. Halt tried to break free but stopped as his shoulder started to throb. "This is going to be fun." Crowley smiled largely as Halt glared at him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I think I would have remembered if I owned Ranger's Apprentice**

The next few weeks had gone by painfully slow for Halt and way too fast for Crowley. The entire time Halt was in bed Crowley made sure that he was asked numerous times how he felt and if he needed anything. Most days Crowley stayed by Halt's bed and annoyed him as such was happening now.

"Are you sure Halt? I have plenty of stories that my mother told me that I could tell you," Crowley said with a grin. Halt, still tied down, glared at the commandant for his reply. "I'll take that as a yes," Crowley said happily ignoring Halt's glare.

"No Crowley, I don't need another one of your stupid stories. I don't even think you remembered them right, I mean what princess kisses a frog?" Halt said. Crowley just shrugged.

"It happened Halt. Do you want me to go get your teddy bear? Maybe he can cheer you up." Crowley stood as if to go retrieve the animal.

"No Crowley, I don't even own a stupid teddy bear," Halt answered menacingly. Crowley sat back down.

"Does somebody need some soup? I know how you get when you're angry," Crowley said as he took his seat by the bed again.

"No Crowley, all I need is for you to let me out of these damned ropes." Halt struggled against his restraints but stopped as they started to dig into his skin.

"No can do, you'll just try and do something stupid and end up hurting yourself more," Crowley said.

Halt was about to reply when Will walked in. "Anything I can do Crowley?" Will looked at Halt apologetically, it was technically his fault that his mentor was in this situation of wanting to slam Crowley's head into several walls.

"Ask him yourself, but be careful, he's a little hungry and you know what that means," Crowley said as he stood to go get coffee. Once he was out the door Will sat by Halt hesitantly.

"Can I get you-"

"Don't start," Halt warned. They remained silent for a few moments before Halt thought of something. "Actually you can do one thing for me." Will sat forward eagerly. "You can untie me and help me bring Crowley to the pond in that clearing," Halt said. Will looked uncertain, he didn't know if Halt was going to do anything to hurt himself.

"Why?"

"Well, I think it's time I taught you how to deal with annoying people." Was Halt's reply. Will still looked unconvinced. "If you do this then I'll forgive you for shooting me," Halt said exasperatedly. Will snapped into action, eager to please Halt.

Finally Halt was out of restraints and standing up. He had gone over the plan with Will and now they were just waiting for Crowley to get back. Halt looked down at his wound and was glad to see that the wound was no longer bleeding like it had the previous weeks, now it was just an ugly hole sewn up with stitches. They waited for around ten minutes before Crowley got back, when he did he glared at Halt.

"I told you no Halt; you aren't ready to do anything physical." Crowley's voice was angry yet Halt could hear the self-doubt, Crowley didn't think he could really handle him and that amused him more than anything.

"I think he should Crowley." Will spoke confidently like Halt had told him to. Crowley turned towards him and raised an eyebrow in an almost Halt-like fashion. "Well, he's been cooped up in this cabin for a couple weeks now. I know he's injured but we can't honestly expect him to stay tied up with no fresh air," Will said. Crowley thought for a moment then nodded slowly.

"I suppose." The commandant turned to face Halt. "But no tricks got it? It finally stopped bleeding and we don't need to have it start again." Halt nodded his understanding. "Well let's go." Crowley finished his coffee then turned back to the door with Will and Halt in tow.

* * *

As they rode into the large clearing Halt looked at Will who gave a nod; he was aware that part two in their plan was about to happen. Crowley rode up to the bank of the pond and dismounted, it was a pleasant place filled with bright green grass and the clear pond that he now stood by. Halt and Will rode up to the bank as will and dismounted. For a while they all just stood there looking into the depths of the pond.

"What now?" Crowley asked. He had never really been one for just sitting back and relaxing.

"You look a little hot there Crowley, how are you feeling?" Halt asked almost casually. Caught off guard by the question didn't see Will who was sneaking up behind him. In one shove Crowley was in the pond, spitting the water out of his mouth.

"What the devil was that for?" Crowley roared. He had let Halt out of the cabin and this was his reward?

"I was teaching Will a lesson," Halt replied kindly. Will was laying on the bank laughing at the look on Crowley's face.

"And what was that? That it's alright to shove your commandant in a pond?" Crowley said angrily.

"No, I was teaching him that when people annoy you and keep you tied down to a bed for four weeks, only letting you up for a few minutes at a time I might add, then it's okay for you to shove them in a pond." Halt couldn't help the amusement from creeping into his tone as Crowley stood up and immediately slipped on a rock and fell back into the water. Eventually he got a foothold and hauled himself out. He sat shivering on the ground. "Looks like you've caught a cold, I think you're going to be out of duty for a while," Halt said. Crowley just glared at him.

"I don't know how this solves anything but….but….Achooo!" Crowley groaned once the sneeze had cleared itself from his system. He looked at Halt and frowned, it had all been part of the plan.

"Oh dear Crowley, it seems you've caught something. I think we should go home; you're going to be in bed for a while with a cold like that." Halt gave the faintest of smiles. "And I do think I could be your doctor." Halt nodded. "That sounds right." Without saying another word he turned towards Abelard and mounted him.

Crowley groaned, maybe it hadn't been a good idea to tell Halt all those stories.

**I know that was a stupid way to end it but I had serious Writer's Block. It's another thing that's dominating the world besides Common Sense and snuggies...Please review**


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